Vehicle step



C. GORE.

VEHICLE STEP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1920.

1,437,648. Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

' f7? wmwzssas INVENTOR A? ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

ang e e 1 CHARLES GORE, 013 LOS ANGELES, (ll 511111?OTRJIUJLA.

I VnHIoLn s'rnr.

Application filed May 251,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES GORE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Steps, of which the following is a clear and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the reference characters marked thereon.

My invention particularly pertains to a step for street cars, and my object is to provide a step and an operating means therefor whereby the step may be swung to and from a folded position adapted to dispose the step in a retracted position and to permit propelling of the car by electrical current only when the step is retracted.

Another object is to provide a simple reciprocating means for oscillating a vertically swinging step whereby the step may be caused to assume an advanced horizontal position or retracted into an inoperative vertical position.

With the foregoing objects in View together withsuch other objects as may subse quently appear, my invention consists of the parts and the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter more full described and claimed and illustrated in t e accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the side portion of a street car showing the steps in their advanced position.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the steps retracted.

Fig. 3 is an end view of a street car showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view in section and side elevation of the step and the operating means therefor.

More specifically B indicates the step which is carried on a riser 2 and end panels 3, and is mounted to swing vertically on a pivot 4 connecting the upper edge of the riser to a suitable point on the car. Pivot-ally connected to the step adjacent the riser is a connecting rod 5 leading into a cylinder 6 pivoted at 7, and located in the cylinder is a piston 8 attached to the rod 5 and adapted to be operated on by air under pressure delivered to the upper end of the cylinder through a conduit 9 and caused to move downward in the cylinder in opposition to a spring 10 in the latter arranged to exert an upward thrust on the piston and rod to norieao. Serial No. 385,320.,

mally hold the step in its retracted position. The air for operating the piston may be delivered thereto from any suitable source of supply being preferably controlled by suit able valves II located convenient to the motormans station on the car.

A catch 11 pivoted at 12 on the car is adapted to engage a lug 13 on the step to normally hold the latter in its retracted position, a spring 14 acting on the catch to normally hold it in its lug engaging position. A rod 15 connects with the catch and affords means whereby the catch may be thrown out of engagement with the lug to release the step when it is desired to advance the latter to its operative position. A. second catch 16 pivoted at 17 on the car is arranged to engage the lug 18 when the step is in its horizontal advanced position to hold it against retraction, a spring 18 acting on the catch 16 to hold it in its lug engaging position. A rod 19 arranged to engage the catch by means of which the catch may be thrown out of engagement with the lug when it is desired to retract the step.

Mounted on the step is a contact member L adapted when the step is in its retracted position to electrically connect with a contact member M as indicated in dotted lines at N to closea circuitthrough electrical conductors L and M; the contact members being located in the electrical circuit by which the car is operated so that when the step is advanced the circuit will be broken and electrical propulsion of the car inhibited until the step is restored to its retracted position.

In the operation of the invention when it is desired to lower the step the catch 11 is disengaged therefrom and the valve 1 or I operated to admit air under pressure to the upper end of the cylinder 6 and cause the piston 8 to move downwardly in opposition to the spring 10 and thereby force the step to its forwardmost position where it will be ngaged by the catch 16 securely held against rearward movement. The circuit through the conductors L and M being broken the car can not be started until the step is again retractech which is eflected by exhausting the air pressure in the cylinder in a suitable manner and thereafter releasing the catch 16 whereupon the spring 10 will act to restore the step to its retracted position so that it will be located at a position beneath the car where it will not be apt to be struck by passing vehicles.

The cylinder 6 is pivoted at 7 so as to normally depend vertically yet be adapted to swing into an inclined position and accommodate movement of the step.

I claim:

In a car step, a pivoted step, a catch for holding the step in a retracted position, a pair of contact members arranged to be maintained in electrical connection when the step is in a retracted position and adapted 10 pressure means for advancing said step and 15 thereby break the electrical circuit.

CHARLES GORE. 

